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Monday, March 27, 2017

Closing the Rings

What is it about this little Activity Tracker on my Apple watch that has me obsessed? This question continues to pop into my mind nearly every time I check my wrist, which admittedly is quite a bit. Did it track my walk down the hallway to the restroom? Why is it telling me I need to stand when I am standing? Yes! I hit my "Move" goal before the end of the work day! Awesome! It counted my brisk walk to the printer as exercise! You get the point! And, please tell me that I'm not alone in this obsession! :)
Over the last week or so I have decided that immediate feedback on the progress towards reaching my goal is the culprit of my obsession. Everyday, the goal is to close each of the three rings (Move, Exercise, and Stand). In one glance, I can tell whether I'm "active" enough according to my Activity Tracker and how close I am to reaching my goal. And as I reflect on my obsession with "closing the rings," I started thinking about how this could be applied in education and how feedback is predominantly given. How often do students turn in an assignment only to wait days or even weeks before they get feedback on whether or not they mastered their goal? Who gives the feedback in the classroom? Does it always have to be the teacher? How long do teachers wait to hear feedback after an administrator has been in their classroom? Is there a way to give instant feedback to teachers or students to keep them moving towards their goal?
If closing the rings keeps me motivated daily, how can feedback be used to propel the learning in our classrooms and schools? (I'm going to let that settle in your mind for a bit. Check back for a future post about ways to give feedback. Of course, if you have a favorite way to give instant feedback, please share in the comments section.)